Catching Up Big Time. Batman, Saga, etc...

Saga #7 
Written by Brian K. Vaughan 
Art by Fiona Staples 
Lettering by Fonografiks 
Published by Image Comics 
Review by Lan Pitts 
'Rama Rating: 10 out of 10

After a month-and-a-half break, the creative duo of Saga brings it back and not a moment too soon as I was suffering from heavy withdrawals. If you've been missing out, there's no worry as you're brought up to speed in the first couple of pages with the backstory of the war between Alana and Marko's races.

When we left off, we had just been introduced to Marko's parents and needless to say the union between the main characters is more than frowned upon. Despite the alien worlds, the relationships and correlation among the characters is incredibly human. It's only seven issues into the series, and if feels as if I've known these people for years. That is Vaughan's magic at work. Though this issue concentrates on establishing Marko's parents' relationship (if you can call it that) with Alana, it also touches on the subplots of The Will in mourning from The Stalk's death and Prince Robot still trying to capture our heroes. It also adds dramatic tension to the story with Marko's father, Barr, who has a secret revealed at the end of the issue, making if very difficult to have to wait until next month.

While the pissed-off mother-in-law is a slight trope, Klara definitely has her reasons to be angry at her son for marrying someone who is involved with a bloodfeud with her race. Barr comes across as more level-headed, but with his secret revealed to Alana, it's understandable why he would want to make peace. Once again, Fiona Staples delivers compelling art that could tell the story all by itself. Staples puts emotion into her art and that's obvious here.

The use of facial expressions are spot-on and riveting. How she captures all the emotions of the initial encounter between Alana, Barr, and Klara should be commended. She breathes life into these otherwise 2-dimensional characters, and makes them seem so animated and real. Her flair for alien design is in full front and it's plain out ballsy at one point.

Saga is a rare kind of book these days with rich, imaginative worlds and solid character development. The pacing hasn't let up and yet there is still so much left to explore in this universe. Here's hoping there isn't another delay in the near future. My sanity almost depends on it.

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Batman #14 
Written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV 
Art by Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Jock, Dave Baron, and FCO Plascencia 
Lettering by Richard Starkings, Jimmy Betancourt, and Sal Cipriano 
Published by DC Comics 
Review by Lan Pitts 
'Rama Rating: 9 out of 10

This issue is heavy, and primarily shows two things: Scott Snyder's Joker is a force of chaos (if you didn't know already), and things are about to get so much worse. This issue basically acts as a set up for things to come, but we see more of the famed Batman and Joker dynamic, as well as a hint of Joker's plans in action with the back up by Snyder and James Tynion IV.

Snyder has been building up to this moment for the great Joker story of his career, and if this issue is any indication of what is to come, it could be his opus. The issue is non-stop chaos with the Joker having laid out his dominoes and now watching each one fall and crash into another setting up a chain of events that really tries Bruce as a person and hero. We find out Alfred's fate and it's not pretty. Bruce almost goes into shutting down so he can operate solely as Batman to get the job done and his father figure back from the clutches of his arch-nemesis. Joker is the boogeyman of the DC universe and in the hands of Snyder, he's molded into a walking nightmare.

The banter between Joker and Batman is something to behold and Joker seems to be the one that actually "gets" their relationship. There's a nice nod to Dark Knight Returns with Joker greeting Batman as "darling", but it also evokes Joker's Peter Pan analogue from the previous issue. The events of the issue make this a real page-turner and the pacing works great, even if a little verbose at times. The lettering on Joker is great, too, giving him a sort of cackle even when he talks normally.

What can be said about Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, and FCO that hasn't already been said? Here they're just as dynamite and visceral as ever, with great detail going into every panel. Near the end, things get a little too cluttered with Batman and Joker's face off, but nothing that warrants more than a half shrug and you move on to the next page. The close ups of Joker are disturbing as ever. You can see the madness in the eyes and his body language. How Capullo uses Joker's posturing tells the whole story in a few panels: he is a sick, sick puppy. Even if you're a rare example of nerdom and have no previous experience with the Joker and his madness, you get the idea loud and clear.

Team Batman is setting up a DC event here and the first steps always hit the hardest. With Batman #14 there's a sure sign that what lies ahead might be Bruce's hardest and most dangerous fight since he donned the cowl. Joker has never been this complicated, and possibly psychotic. Snyder definitely has something to prove with handling the first Joker story of the new DCU, but if this is where things start, this'll join the ranks of some of the great Bat stories ever written.

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Shadowman #1 (Published by Valiant Comics; Review by Lan Pitts; 'Rama Rating: 5 out of 10): Shadowman was one of the old Valiant's top tier books and has an acclaimed team behind the title, yet it balances a fine line between great visuals and cliched moments that we've seen a dozen times elsewhere. The continuation of Jack Boniface being a legacy character is a nice touch; he's younger, not a jazz musician, but still a bright (no pun intended) young man trying to find himself. Justin Jordan handles the mythos of the character well enough, but it's weighed down by a lot of exposition and a choppy ending. Patrick Zircher and Brian Reber elevate the dialogue with some heavy gore and a great battle scene; definitely the stars of the show. There's enough here for me to take a second look, but it really has to start picking up from here.

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My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic #1 
Written by Katie Cook Art by Andy Price and Heather Breckel 
Lettering by Robbie Robbins
Published by IDW 
Review by Lan Pitts 
'Rama Rating: 9 out of 10

Strange things are ahoof in Ponyville, and your favorite characters from the Hub's My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic are on the case. The creative team of Katie Cook and Andy Price mesh together perfectly, and the comic adaptation captures all the wonder and fun of the series that doesn't stray too far.

Creator Katie Cook has captured fans' attentions with her webcomic Gronk, as well her famed "mini-paintings" and her unique, cartoonish style. Here though, she takes up the writer's reins for the most part (she does have her own short story at the end of the issue) and nails the world of Esquestria with a fine hammer. Her sense of humor plays well into this world. Not really having any laughing out loud moments, but did make me smile. Each pony has their distinctive voice, and Cook is pitch perfect with each one. The story itself plays like an Invasion of the Body Snatchers homage, and even takes a little continuity from the show (they mention the royal wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance) as an old enemy reemerges.

It's difficult not to hear the ponies' voices from the show as you dive in reading. Cook certainly has a handle of each one's characteristics and nothing sounds off or different from what you'd expect. Near the end, it begins to get a little too wordy and artist Andy Price's pages seem to get cluttered with word balloons. Nothing too horrible, but definitely something to take down a notch further down the road. Speaking of Price, he excels here and compliments Cook's words magnificently.

For what is deemed a comic just for kids, there is a lot of detail into every page. Even the backgrounds look very well put together and if you look carefully, you can see Price and his wife, along with Cook in the midst of Ponyville Square. You have to appreciate the expressions going on here; a true sign of a highly skilled cartoonist. Heather Breckel's colors are impressive to say the least. Each page is just bright and makes the book all that much enjoyable. Price and Breckel's styles work together well here and neither overshadows the other.

The biggest fear adult fans are probably having is whether or not they'll "get" it. Is this geared towards them or the younger audiences? Simply put: both. Much like the nature of the show, it has comic sensibilities for the young and young at heart. Yes, there are mentions to other pop culture staples in here, but doesn't go overboard with them. Cook has made this first issue accessible to all sorts of readers. It's fun, magical, and captures your imagination. While I do think non-fans of the series would be a tad confused on who's who, fans of the show will love this to pieces, and with good reason.

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Courtney Crumrin #7 (Published by Oni Press; Review by Lan Pitts; 'Rama Rating: 8 out of 10): With Courtney and Calperina on the run from the Coven, things are looking pretty dim for them, especially having Courtney's uncle Aloysius' true colors apparently revealed. The tension is definitely building for a head-on collision at some point, but things take an interesting turn here. Ted Naifeh has always had a good eye for design for his creatures, and this issue is a primary example of the things rattling in his brain. Where colorist Warren Wucinich usually brought color and brightness to this series thus far, here, there's nothing really go on. The issue takes place at night and it's understandable to use darker colors, but it just feels overdone here and some character details are lost.

Batman #11: Court of the Owls finale.

Batman #11
Written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV
Art by Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Rafael Albuquerque, Dave McCaig and FCO Plascencia
Lettering by Richard Starkings, Jimmy Betancourt, and Dezi Sienty
Published by DC Comics
Review by Lan Pitts
'Rama Rating: 9 out of 10

This is it. This is Rocky and Ivan Drago. He-Man and Skeletor. Cain and Abel. Batman #11 gives us the showdown that has been escalating for some time now. Does Batman prevail? Will Lincoln March live on to fight another day to haunt Bruce? Scott Snyder and the rest of Team Batman give us quite the battle, but nothing is ever black and white in Gotham City.

Jumping in right immediately from the last panel of the previous issue, Batman and his so-called brother duke it out all across Gotham with Lincoln getting the upper hand for the majority of the fight. When Bruce finally gets some hits in, he makes sure they count and the two cause some serious collateral damage to the city.

I think given the ending that Snyder has presented is the best route to have gone. Nothing is definite and gives Bruce a mystery he can't solve. The fact that Snyder also makes clear is how nobody owns Gotham is a poignant lesson. Lincoln has some great dialogue here as he's the main voice of the issue. His taunts to Bruce really show his mental instability and given time, will be a fine addition to the already legendary Batman rogues gallery. I do think that Bruce's ending monologue is a tad cliche at the end, and could have been punched up a bit. However, it is definitely an exclamation point for the end of this arc.

The back-up feature continuing Jarvis Pennyworth's story has more emotional weight, especially with Alfred and Bruce at the end. Alfred is more than the butler, or the confidant; he's the voice of reason. Both Bruce and Alfred lost somebody dear to them because of the Court, but where Bruce is determined to want to solve the mystery of Lincoln's heritage and put an end to the ambiguity, Alfred insists that they leave things at rest. This makes sense, and it adds to the whole overall lesson that Gotham is not just a city, but a force of its own.

You have great art teams on this. What can be said about Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, and FCO that hasn't been said over and over. They are just dynamite, and Capullo really has established himself as one of DC's top artists and shown a whole new generation why he's a superstar. He's definitely won me over and I'll be on the lookout for whatever he puts out in the future. The best thing about this art team, that even with the more weaker dialogue, the scenes are still elevated to greater levels because the visuals are just that strong.

Over at the back-up, the mainstay art team of Albuquerque and McCaig literally burn the roof off the place and handle both the intense moments and more subtle ones with ease and panache, you'd easily would want a Bat-book with just them.

Batman #11 gives its readers the finale to something nobody was really expecting: a year long arc that establishes not only a new villain, but a new premise about Gotham City. Bruce has been pushed to the edge and he still fights another day. It's a strong book and one certainly labeled a can't miss one to read. This might be the finale to "The Court of Owls," but it's not an end. Kudos, Team Batman. Kudos.

Blast from the kind of Past: Saga #2 and 3 and Batman #10

 Saga #2
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Fiona Staples
Lettering by Fonografiks
Published by Image
Review by Lan Pitts
'Rama Rating: 9 out of 10

Last issue, Brian K. Vaughan established a universe that we see rarely in comics these days, rich in culture and political warfare, and filled with characters we instantly grew to love and root for. Here, we have our heroes and their newborn still on the run, and get a bigger scope on this universe as a whole. There's bounty hunters, magic and teenage woodland ghosts that I'm still not exactly quite sure what to think of. Vaughan's ability to seamlessly weave multiple characters into a single cohesive plot is quite the feat. Especially when you consider that these characters are literally worlds apart. I'll hand it to him with some of the dialogue here. We know that Marko and Alana are a couple, but here we seen their interactions and can actually believe it. The secret that Alana tells Marko that aids a spell is priceless, and Marko's devotion to his wife and daughter is obvious and clear.

In just two issues, Vaughan has told a love story, a war story, and a story about survival in a strange world that a lot of writers on the scene today would drag out. Here, nothing is wasted — every bit of dialogue counts for something and adds to the story instead of boggling it down. Again, Fiona Staples shines and brings her art to a whole other stratosphere.

Her talent to just give life to the inhabitants of these worlds is astounding. The design alone for the bounty hunter known as The Stalk is something to behold. The imagery close to the end balances contemporary horror with slices of sci-fi for good measure. While the layouts were still impressive, there were some pages that I thought could have been opened up a bit more, but nothing came across as boring or mundane. Her great use of facial expressions is top-notch and really sell the emotions of the characters involved. The muted palette is perfect for her style. It's laid-back, and makes her linework stand out all that much more. Saga continues to weave it's magic on me and captivate me with far-out world, and monstrous creations.

Honestly, if you haven't picked this up by now, you're more than just missing out—you're denying yourself a book that demonstrates the beauty of what the comic book medium can present to its audience.
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 Saga #3
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Fiona Staples
Lettering by Fonografiks
Published by Image Comics
Review by Lan Pitts
'Rama Rating: 10 out of 10

Three issues in, and Saga continues its trend of being a perfect blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. It has maintained the quality of the last two issues with Brian K. Vaughan spearheading even more world-building and monster-making. With Marko injured, Alan makes a deal with one of the ghosts of the planet and learns something quite interesting about Marko that makes me still love the idea that anything can truly happen here. Vaughan has some of the best dialog so far in this issue.

Since the story still spans other worlds, the interactions between the more minor players builds, and we get an idea on how vast the story truly goes. Prince Robot IV is becoming one of my favorite villains here. Not just because he's just unique-looking by comparison to most comic book villains, but his demeanor is just a combination of menacing and wacky. Also the premise of how some planets' evolutionary process of some species is just so imaginative, you can't help but silently applaud.

The introduction to Izabel, the girl ghost, is a nice touch. Adding a bit of whimsy, and fun to an otherwise serious tone. The threesome of Alana, Marko, and baby Hazel become a foursome as they try to get ingredients to heal Marko. It's during this that a possible revelation about Marko is uncovered and leaves with you an "oh, crap" moment. Fiona Staples' art is a bit quieter here, but the panels still have a solid flow to them. The way she handles simple interactions like Alana and Izabel talking about kids, to the more complex, like Robot beating the holy hell out of a prisoner. It's all done with a certain level of gravitas so you can't keep your eyes off the page.

The more I think about it, the more I applaud her choice in the pallet used here. It's muted at times, but really complements the book as a whole. You still get the richness of the world around the characters, but it's not too distracting and overpowering. Her grasp on facial expressions is top notch which gives these characters actual, you know, character. Perfect example of this is how Izabel is handled.

Saga is one of the books that has supercharged the comic market. In so little time, it's become one of my favorite books of the year, and the only limit is Vaughan's creativity. By the rare chance you aren't reading this, you are missing out on what is simply a must-read.
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Batman #10
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion and FCO Plascencia
Lettering by Richard Starkings and Jimmy B
Published by DC Comics
Review by Lan Pitts
'Rama Rating: 9 out of 10
There has been a large amount of speculation leading up to this issue on who is behind the Court of Owls and who will face Batman in one final showdown. The curveball thrown here is a big-time swerve as Scott Snyder pulls the rug out of all of us and catches us off-guard. What he's also done is create a great antithesis for Bruce Wayne and Batman as well that leaves you in anticipation for their last battle.

 Yes, we still have one more issue until this new villain and Batman slug it out, so here we have the revelation and Snyder playing up Bats' detective skills. He's really laid the groundwork since Day One on how this will play out, and looking back it's all there. It's not obvious at first, but once it hits you, it'll make sense. Though, the big reveal isn't what's really going on. Between the back-up feature with the Jarvis Pennyworth backstory, and this issue, it all comes together in one nice puzzle.

I think Bruce's monologues are the strongest here because he does taste a bit of defeat in the middle of the issue. It's interesting to see Batman really struggle here trying to get to the bottom of things, and keep coming up short. As I mentioned, Bruce's detective skills are keen enough to where he does figure it out, and we're back to the villain and Batman spelling it out for us. I think the dialogue gets in the way of the action in this last scene, and we're left shaking our fists wanting to see the throwdown right then and there.

 So, what about Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion that hasn't already been mentioned? There is a lot going on here scene-wise, and both penciler and inker bring their collective A-game and really knock it out of the park. The moody atmosphere that Snyder has envisioned comes to life here as Capullo and Glapion smother the underbelly with graffiti, dirt, and ghosts of the past — it's amazing how seamlessly they can change settings and nail every bit of Gotham seen here so wonderfully. There are some panels, of course, that I thought could have used a stronger delivery, especially with the big reveal. It's not distracting, but when you get an understated revelation when you're anticipating a huge denouement, it leaves you wondering. Still, the artistic treatment of Gotham as not just a city, but an embodiment all its own, is tremendous. Add a fine layer of dank colors to add to the seediness of Gotham by FCO Plascencia, and you've got a great-looking book.

It's been almost a year since the relaunch of DC's publishing line, and Snyder was a good fit to lead the way and give this book a proper direction. Capullo is certainly a breakout star because of it, and the two work great together and have brought us something definitely new to Batman. I love the approach that there are certain things in the Batman mythology that are deemed unchangeable — well, Snyder here may have just laid a game-changer on us all.

Let's play catch up. Batman #8, and Swamp Thing #7

 Swamp Thing #7 
Written by Scott Snyder 
Art by Yanick Paquette and Nathan Fairburn 
Lettering by Travis Lanham 
Published by DC Comics 
Review by Lan Pitts 
'Rama Rating: 9 out of 10

 Swamp Thing, you are amazing.

Having essentially been depowered by the Parliament of Trees, and Abigail Arcane captured by the force known as Sethe, Alec Holland has to face some hard choices and will confront even harder challenges that soon lie ahead. Scott Snyder and company are taking the first step into a world we haven't seen since Alan Moore's take on the character, and even elevates it from there.

 Right off the bat, we're diving into some deep territory here. Holland is being confronted by the Parliament and trialed on basically being too weak, from there he has to earn the right to be a force of nature again, but his reasons differ from that of the Parliament and makes him all that much more human. Snyder does not shy away from usual style of using heavy narration, especially here to demonstrate the transformation of becoming a swamp thing entails, but it's actually much less from his Batman work in the past and present. Here, it's mainly a conversation between Holland and the Trees about the good of man, and his weakness. It's pretty thought provoking, and really gives you an idea of who Holland/Swamp Thing is as a man, monster, and hero.

Without knowing much Swamp Thing mythos, everything is almost spelled out for you and potential new readers could jump right in. Now seriously, Yanick Paquette is a powerhouse here. Using vines and a quasi-nouveau floral pattern to break up the panel construction is still ingenious and gives you a sense of mysticism and sets it apart from the rest of DC's catalog right now. On top of that, you have a some brilliant, yet horrific, imagery of Swamp Thing's world that really echoes his horror roots. It's gory, but visually striking. Paquette is going near J.H. Williams III Detective Comics territory here. Nathan Fairburn is quickly becoming one of my favorite colorists in the field. His rich pallet saturates Paquette's lines, but still distinguishes itself from the characters and environment and doesn't take away from what Paquette does here, but shines it up to perfection. His use of reds and yellows here are just golden and really makes the greens stand out all the much more.

 If you've been wondering about getting into Swamp Thing but not exactly sure where to start, I say at the very least try here. The one flaw here is that it's all set up for the things to come, but you get the gist of what's going on and what's at stake. Snyder hasn't compromised the characters history, but condensed it to make it more tangible for readers unfamiliar with the Swampy universe. --------------------

 
Batman #8 
Written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV 
Art by Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Rafael Albuquerque, Nathan Fairburn and FCO Plascencia 
Lettering by Richard Starkings and Patrick Brosseau 
Published by DC Comics Review by Lan Pitts 
'Rama Rating: 10 out of 10
 "Get the hell out of my house."
This is how you start a crossover event. Since the relaunch of Batman, he's come to terms with learning about a secret society that is hatching plans for complete domination. They have broken him mentally and left him physically drained. The Court of Owls. Leading up to this moment, Bruce Wayne went after them on their turf, but here, the Court comes a knockin' and Bruce and Alfred defend the manor and cave the best they can. Although they are outnumbered, they aren't unmatched. Starting right off the first few pages, Greg Capullo's panel structure breathes some cinematic air onto the pages. The multitude of shots used to cover Gotham City is beautiful right next to the stern silouette of Bruce standing alone in his parlor. An image I'm sure will be a classic, given time. Another good example of this is Bruce going into the cave and seeing that they are already in there.

Scott Snyder handles Batman as we haven't seen him in a long while: at wit's end and nearly defeated. But quick on his feet and hands, ready to take down the foes invading his home with some pretty good results. Snyder upped his dialog here and we really see Alfred and Bruce working as a team, at times showing the famed butler's more comedic side. There is a distinct difference in how Snyder writes Batman and Bruce Wayne this time around. There are mild echoes of Dick Grayson as Batman as Bruce takes down some attackers. Almost quipping away as he breaks a man's arm.

Of course, the back up having Snyder team up with his American Vampire collaborater, Rafael Albuquerque as well as newcomer James Tynion IV. It's weird to see Dave McCaig's colors layer his work, but Nathan Fairburn does great work here, still implementing a warmer pallet than FCO and it's interanesting to see the two worlds collide like that. Along with all of that, you see that sort of stranglehold the Court has Gotham in. Capullo and Glapion's art is brilliant here. Together, they do some great layouts and double-page spreads. This issue heavy on the action, and the art teams pulls no punches. Capullo's eye for detail is in top form here. The crooks and nannies of the cave and Bruce's furniture are highlighted, but doesn't come across as over bearing. Clapion's inks are consistent, and very sharp. There's a lot of energy going on in almost every page.

The back-up, "The Call", features Albuquerque's usual style of broad strokes, and heavy inks, really go hand in hand with the heaviness of the situation at large. We're treated to his great handle of facial expressions and some more double-page spreads. The last one of these setting the ground work for what's to come with the crossover for Night of the Owls. It's just old-fashioned cool with a modern polish. Bruce fighting off the Court in just his night robe for the majority of the issue, shows you the fortitude this man possess. The Batcave is supposed to be his impentrable fortress, but having the Court overwhelming Bruce, also displays their cunning and strength in numbers. With Snyder multitasking duties on books, you'd think he'd run thin eventually. Batman #8 proves that the best is yet to come.